Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40484643›Full record

ArticleJournal for immunotherapy of cancer2025

C5a/C5aR pathway blocking promoted CuS-mediated cancer therapy effect by inhibiting cuproptosis resistance.

Hong Yang, Boshao Deng, Xiao Han, Lulu Wang, Jing Zhao, Yunpei Zhao, Zihan Sun, Siyi Wang, Guokang Liu, Yuzhang Wu and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal for immunotherapy of cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Hong YangDepartment of Immunology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-5871-6852
Boshao DengDepartment of Immunology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-5656-506X
Xiao HanDepartment of Immunology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-0869-601X
Lulu WangDepartment of Immunology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Jing ZhaoBiomedical Analysis Center, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Yunpei ZhaoDepartment of Pharmacy, The Southwest Hospital of AMU, Chongqing, China.
Zihan SunDepartment of breast and thyroid, Guiqian international general hospital, GuiYang, China.
Siyi WangDepartment of Immunology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Guokang LiuDepartment of Immunology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Yuzhang WuDepartment of Immunology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China chenjian1@tmmu.edu.cn yuzhangwu@tmmu.edu.cn.
Jian ChenDepartment of Immunology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China chenjian1@tmmu.edu.cn yuzhangwu@tmmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9186-0764

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBreast cancer is the most diagnosed malignancy and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women globally. Cuproptosis plays a significant role in tumor progression and therapeutic response. Increasing studies suggest that targeting cuproptosis presents a promising strategy for cancer therapy, such as through the development of copper nanoparticles as therapeutic agents. However, resistance to cuproptosis has emerged as a critical hallmark of cancer. Therefore, it is essential to further investigate the mechanisms underlying cuproptosis resistance to enhance its therapy effect.

methodsThe relationship between breast cancer progression and the C5a/C5aR pathway or cuproptosis was determined by single-cell RNA sequencing analyses, RNA-sequence analyses, bioinformatic analyses, survival analyses and immunohistochemistry. The antitumor effects of CuS nanoparticles and C5a receptor antagonists (C5aRA) were assessed by in vitro and in vivo strategies including cell counting kit-8, colony formation assay, relative reactive oxygen species level assay, western blots, real-time quantitative PCR, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence assay, flow cytometry and the xenograft mice models. Complement system activation by CuS nanoparticles was tested by ELISA.

resultsOur results indicated that activation of the C5a/C5aR pathway contributes to cuproptosis resistance by upregulating ATP7B expression via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Consequently, combining CuS nanoparticles with lazer treatment and C5aRA markedly enhanced the antitumor efficacy of CuS nanoparticles by overcoming cuproptosis resistance, leading to a synergistic effect in cancer therapy that included cuproptosis-targeting therapy, immunotherapy, and photothermal therapy.

conclusionsThis study reports, for the first time, proved C5a/C5aR pathway-mediated cuproptosis resistance in cancer cells, and combining CuS nanoparticles and C5aRA offers a superior and novel therapeutic strategy for cancer.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsComplement C5aCopperReceptor, Anaphylatoxin C5aAnimalsCell Line, TumorDrug Resistance, NeoplasmFemaleHumansMiceSignal TransductionXenograft Model Antitumor AssaysC5AR1 protein, humanComplement C5aCopperReceptor, Anaphylatoxin C5aBreast CancerCombination therapyComplement

Identifiers

PMID40484643
PMCPMC12161435

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.